Residents in the Pearl River Delta region worried about pollution and water quality, survey shows

More than 80 per cent of Pearl River Delta residents say pollution is adversely affecting their lives, while 60 per cent are concerned about the quality of the region's water supply, a poll shows.

The Guangzhou Public Opinion Research Centre interviewed 2,006 people from nine delta cities including Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Dongguan about their experiences with pollution in the previous 12 months. Guangdong manufactures almost a third of the mainland's exports, but the toll has been widespread environmental damage.

Thirty-eight per cent of respondents said they had developed unusual symptoms, such as asthma, colds or sore throats, or had become depressed, as a direct result of air pollution. Another 5 per cent said their illnesses could be an indirect result of pollution.

Guangzhou and Foshan residents were the most unhappy, with 85 per cent saying pollution affected their daily lives. More than 60 per cent of those surveyed in Guangzhou, Dongguan, Foshan and Jiangmen worried that pollution would affect their health. Exhaust fumes and industrial pollution were seen as the main threats.

Nearly 60 per cent said rivers and water sources were 'gravely polluted'. Nearly a quarter of participants said they would not drink boiled water due to its poor quality, preferring to use bottled water when drinking or cooking.

The study also cited complaints about the effect of water on fabrics. 'Who would dare to drink corrosive tap water that could leave tiny holes in your towels?' Guangzhou retiree Cao Yizheng was quoted as saying. Chen Guangrong, deputy director of the Guangdong Environmental Protection Bureau, sought to allay fears about water by saying his family drank boiled tap water 'occasionally'. 'My family sometimes boils tap water to drink,' he was quoted as saying by the Southern Metropolis News yesterday. 'All tap water has been disinfected properly and should be no problem.' Chen admitted air pollution was closely linked to chronic respiratory diseases, but said the survey could not give an accurate picture of health problems.